Health care worker charged with stealing elderly woman's money

A 20-year-old home health care worker assigned to take care of an 86-year-old woman has been charged with stealing the woman's money.

NORTH OGDEN — A 20-year-old home health care worker assigned to take care of an 86-year-old woman has been charged with stealing the woman's money.

A warrant was issued Wednesday for Lauren Hunsaker on charges of exploitation of a vulnerable adult and theft, both third-degree felonies.

Hunsaker was given access to the elderly woman's ATM cards and PIN numbers to help her to buy groceries and other small necessities. She began working for the woman in January.

But just two weeks later, the woman's family contacted police to report $1,900 was missing from two credit union accounts, according to court documents.

Court records show Hunsaker was convicted of an amended charge of attempted unlawful use of a credit card, a third-degree felony, and unlawful use of a credit card, a class B misdemeanor, in 2012.

She was given probation but then served jail time after violating her probation. Hunsaker was also convicted on another case of unlawful acquisition of a credit card, a third-degree felony, later that year.

In addition, she was convicted of disorderly conduct, a class C misdemeanor, in a separate 2012 case, and misdemeanor trespass in yet another case in 2012, according to court records.

It was unknown Friday whether the victim's family conducted a background check before hiring her as a home health care worker.